Christmas Fairytale 2023
2nd Dec 2023 - 24th Dec 2023
Tickets are now on sale for our Christmas Fairytale event 2023, which runs on Saturdays and Sundays from 2nd to 10th December, then daily from 11th December to Christmas Eve. Our Grotto is open until 5pm, except on Saturday and Sunday 9th, 10th, 16th, 17th and daily 21st to 23rd December, when it remains open until 7pm.
This year’s event will be significantly expanded compared to previous years, with a whole new area that will feature a range of new festive experiences. All the best elements from previous years will remain, such as the cosy and atmospheric Grotto, the Fairytale Castle walk-through and our spectacular Christmas illuminations.
Tickets are available online only, and as this event normally sells out we recommend booking well in advance.
In this magical and immersive event, you will:
- Check in with Santa’s helper elves and start your journey through the Gingerbread House entrance.
- Pose for a festive photo opportunity.
- Prepare your Santa wish list.
- Pick n mix some reindeer food ready for Christmas Eve.
- Help decorate Santa’s Christmas tree.
- Experience Mother Goose and friends in the Christmas spirit.
- Test your snowball throwing skills while trying to feed Frosty and his snowpals.
- View a special festive version of Mouse Town.
From here you’ll be elf-scorted into a beautiful Fairytale Castle and start your journey from the South Pole to the North Pole. You will meet some interactive dancing penguins, visit the Toymaker in his cosy log cabin and see Santa’s sleigh ready to launch into a clear night sky of twinkling stars. Then you will walk through the Secret Forest to meet Father Christmas himself in his charming Grotto, which evokes an atmosphere of Christmas past.
Our aim is to provide a relaxed and personal visit to the Grotto, with time for your entire family to meet and greet Santa, take your own photographs with him, and watch your children’s faces light up as Santa gives each of them a wrapped present. Santa is just how you would expect him to be – magical, very friendly and wanting to spend time chatting with your little ones, asking them what they would like for Christmas and if they have been good this year!
Adventure trail activities:
- Join in the search for Santa’s favourite Christmas Eve snacks and receive an ‘I’ve been Elfed’ treat.
- Have festive fun amongst the fairy lights in our Fairy Dell play area.
- Search for fossils in our claw-some illuminated Dino Dig.
- Meet Jolly the Elf at our International Elf Post Sorting Station. Jolly will make sure your wish list gets to the right place and take you through some Elf Etiquette Training! You can discover your secret elf name, learn the ‘Elf Code’ and take the ‘Elf Oath’ to become a certified Trainee Santa Elf! Jolly will also award you with your ‘I’ve been Elfed’ treat.
- Pose for a festive photo shoot in a sleigh like Santa’s.
- Pet and learn some adorable animal facts. And if you wish, leave them a festive treat in their stockings!
Other festive treats include mulled wine and mince pies for the parents, as well as a chance to experience our beautiful Christmas light trail, which is bigger and better for 2023, with spectacular new features.
We now operate an all-in price for our Christmas Fairytale event, which covers admission to Fairytale Farm, the magical Fairytale Castle walk-through, Grotto visit and all activities.
Prices are:
• £9.50 for Adult/Older Children tickets and Senior Tickets (i.e. those not receiving a present from Santa);
• £16.99 for Child Christmas Fairytale tickets (i.e. those receiving a gift from Santa);
• £7.49 for Under 2 Christmas Fairytale tickets (includes full experience and a gift from Santa).
To buy all-in tickets to our Christmas grotto event, including farm and Grotto admission, please go to our Christmas Fairytale Ticketing Page.
IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ BEFORE VISITING:
The slot you book is your Grotto visit time. You are welcome to arrive at the farm at any time on the day of your Santa visit and stay all day, but please ensure you arrive at Elf Check-In as close as possible to your Grotto visit slot. If you have a slot late in the day, we strongly advise arriving in time to be able to visit other areas of the farm before you visit the Grotto. Please note that the animal area is not fully lit after dusk, and many animals will be in their houses, so we strongly recommend that you arrive before 4pm if you want to see all the animals. We also recommend you visit the International Elf Post Sorting Station before visiting Father Christmas if visiting in the evening as this closes at 6pm on our late night opening days. (More ‘small print’ at the very bottom of this page, for those who want to read about the finer details. Just scroll down!).
SEND Sessions
We will be holding a Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) Day on Friday 8th December and two SEND evenings, from 5pm to 6pm on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th December, where families with children who have special needs can experience the Christmas Fairytale in a more relaxed atmosphere.
On the SEND Day, visits to the Grotto will start at 10am and run through to 5pm. On the SEND Evenings, visits will be from 5pm to 6pm. For the evening sessions, the entire Farm will be closed to other visitors and the Christmas Fairytale will be a relaxing experience, and can be tailored to your own child’s individual needs. On the SEND Day, although the Farm will be open to visitors, it is expected to be very quiet, and the Christmas Fairytale event will only be available to SEND visitors, so again will be a relaxing experience.
Book tickets to SEND sessions here…
Please note that these sessions are only for children with special needs and/or disabilities and their families.
We have a special group rate for school visits to our Christmas Fairytale event (email schools@fairytalefarm.co.uk for details). Please note that the International Elf Post Sorting Station is not open on weekdays during term time.
The small print
How it works…
All of the tickets to our Christmas Fairytale event include admission to the Farm and our evening illuminations.
Admission to the Farm’s Christmas Fairytale event 2023 can only be purchased online. The Child Christmas Fairytale Ticket is for the full farm entry and Grotto experience, including a present from Santa. Adults and older children who do not want to receive a present from Santa can buy the Adult/Older Children ticket. This ticket gives admission to the farm and allows the ticket holder to accompany a child who holds a ‘Child Christmas Fairytale’ ticket into the Grotto.
Adult and child Annual Pass members can enter Fairytale Farm for free and also get free/discounted admission to the Grotto. Annual Pass members need to buy a ticket for children visiting the Grotto and receiving a present, which is the Member Child Christmas Fairytale ticket. This is at a significantly lower price to the standard Child Christmas Fairytale ticket. Other Annual Pass members can accompany a holder of a ‘Member Child Christmas Fairytale’ ticket or ‘Child Christmas Fairytale Ticket’, so get to experience the Grotto too. We ask that they book a ‘Member Adult Christmas Fairytale’ ticket, which gives the adult or older child the full experience, without the present, and is free of charge.
Note that children under 2 who want to experience the Christmas Grotto and receive a present from Santa, pay a special Under 2 Christmas Fairytale ticket. However, babes in arms who are too young to experience the Christmas Fairytale event can still enter the farm for free.
Carers of a disabled visitor are free and do not need to purchase a ticket. Maximum one carer per disabled visitor.
(If you just want to visit the Farm and not join in the Christmas Fairytale event at all, please buy a standard farm admission ticket. This does not give admission to the Grotto.)
Note: The slot you book is your Grotto visit time. You are welcome to arrive at the farm at any time on the day of your Santa visit and stay all day, but please ensure you arrive at Elf Check-In at your Grotto visit slot. If you have a slot late in the day, we strongly advise arriving in time to be able to visit other areas of the farm before you visit the Grotto. Please note that the animal area is not fully illuminated after dusk, and many of the animals will be in their houses, so we strongly recommend that you arrive before 4pm if you want to see all the animals. We also recommend you visit the International Elf Post Sorting Station before visiting Father Christmas if visiting in the evening as this closes at 6pm on our late night opening days.
Don't miss a thing. See the latest seasonal events from Fairytale Farm to delight your little ones. From a visit from the Easter Bunny to our themed weeks and half term events. There is always something going on.
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